Steel Prices

SMU price ranges: Indices drop across the board

May 13, 2025

All of SMU’s sheet and plate steel price indices declined this week, easing by $30-$40 per short ton (st) on average since early May. Prices continue to slide lower as buyers remain on the sidelines, wary of holding much excess inventory and expecting further declines.

Among the five products we track, hot-rolled coil (HRC) saw the smallest drop, easing $30/st to $845/st week over week (w/w). The lower end of our HRC range has dipped to $790/st, with reports of mills selling below $800/st for big-ton orders. HRC prices are down $50/st compared to one month ago.

Cold rolled and Galvalume each fell $40/st over the week to $1,045/st, while galvanized dropped $35/st to $1,020/st. Tandem products are now $75-$80/st below where they were a month ago.

Plate prices declined $40/st w/w to $1,135/st, down $50/st from mid-April.

SMU’s price momentum indicator remains lower for both sheet and plate products, signaling we expect prices to trend lower over the next 30 days.

Refer to Table 1 (click to enlarge) for our latest price indices and trends.

Hot-rolled coil

The SMU price range is $790-$900/st, averaging $845/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Our entire range has shifted $30/st lower w/w. Our price momentum indicator for hot-rolled steel remains at lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Hot rolled lead times range from 3-6 weeks, averaging 5.1 weeks as of our April 30 market survey.

Cold-rolled coil

The SMU price range is $990–$1,100/st, averaging $1,045/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range is down $30/st w/w, while the top end is down $50/st. Our overall average is down $40/st w/w. Our price momentum indicator for cold-rolled steel remains at lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Cold rolled lead times range from 5-8 weeks, averaging 6.6 weeks through our latest survey.

Galvanized coil

The SMU price range is $970–$1,070/st, averaging $1,020/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range is down $20/st w/w, while the top end is down $50/st. Our overall average is down $35/st w/w. Our price momentum indicator for galvanized steel remains at lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 benchmark: SMU price range is $1,067–$1,167/st, averaging $1,117/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized lead times range from 4-8 weeks, averaging 6.7 weeks through our latest survey.

Galvalume coil

The SMU price range is $990–$1,100/st, averaging $1,045/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range is down $30/st w/w, while the top end is down $50/st. Our overall average is down $40/st w/w. Our price momentum indicator for Galvalume steel remains at lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, grade 80 benchmark: SMU price range is $1,284–$1,394/st, averaging $1,339/st FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume lead times range from 6-8 weeks, averaging 7.0 weeks through our latest survey.

Plate

The SMU price range is $1,000–$1,270/st, averaging $1,135/st FOB mill. The lower end of our range is down $80/st w/w, while the top end is unchanged. Our overall average is down $40/st w/w. Our price momentum indicator for plate remains at lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Plate lead times range from 4-7 weeks, averaging 5.9 weeks through our latest survey.

SMU note: Above is a graphic showing our hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume, and plate price history. This data is also available on our website with our interactive pricing tool. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@steelmarketupdate.com.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.